Vigil for Vegas victims on Cal campus

BERKELEY, Calif. (KTVU) - Students at UC Berkeley gathered by the Campanile Thursday night to hold a vigil for those impacted by the Las Vegas shooting about four-dozen people came to pay their respects.

They sang , reflected, prayed for the victims and survivors.

When tragedy strikes our nation , it feels like it's getting closer and closer," says Jillian Free, a UC Berkeley student.

She's among the students at this gathering who knew victims, peers in their early twenties who lost their lives.

"Her name is Jordyn Rivera. She lived in my hometown. It just goes to show how fragile life is . how much we should cherish our loved ones," says Jenica Bautista, a student who helped organize the vigil.

Students say the Las Vegas shooting brings a new sense of vulnerability.

One had family nearby Sunday night.
　
"They can hear the gunshots. They can see the people outside, the complete and utter chaos," says Mike Haynes, a UC Berkeley student.

He says his relatives were working at the Luxor Casino next to Mandalay Bay when the shooting happened.
　
"You think to yourself, that could have been my family member, that could have been my friend. It affects me. It gives me a different outlook on life," says Haynes.
　
Students found a measure of solace in writing messages of love, grief and support.
　
"We comfort all who mourn. It's not just those who lost. We all mourn because we all got hurt," says Daniel Curran, a parent.
　
"We felt it was very necessary to host this event because a lot of hearts are aching at this moment," says Bautista.
　
Students say this night was about comforting one another and it's a call to action, whether it be donating blood or becoming politically active.